Light refracting fixture



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F mm Mm DM Ew. RR F T H Jm L Sept. 22, 1970 Filed Aug. 19, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Sept. 22, 'i970 J, FRlEDMAN ETAL 3,53,29

LIGHT REFRACTING FIXTURE Filed Aug. 19, 1968 y 2 sheets-sheet a n /I l, l 5124 Y V V l il@ 5y o @fia fa United States Patent 3,530,289 LIGHT REFRACTING FIXTURE `Iulius Friedman, Levittown, and Carl Wellhofer, Glenside, Pa., assignors to Lighting Corporation of America, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 753,435 Int. Cl. F21v J 04 U.S. Cl. 240-108 10 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A light fixture having faceted pendants are coupled to a frame adjacent a light source to form a refracting xture of crystal-like appearance. The faceted pendants are supported on the frame by hook elements which have a light for receiving the frame. The hook element is fastened to the frame by a resilient cli-p. The pendant member may comprise several discrete pendant elements and may be supported by a number of hook elements.

This invention relates to a light refracting fixture, and more particularly, to an easily assembled lighting fixture, made to simulate the appearance of crystal fixtures.

Numerous constructions have been suggested for light refracting fixtures. For example, in one 4well-known prior art construction, individual faceted stones of stepped size are strung on wires arranged around a light source in a basket-like configuration. Another familiar construction uses vertically hanging prisms or pendants disposed in circular array about the light source. Characteristically, crystal fixtures are difiicult to manufacture, since they call for individual mounting of numerous small parts.

The present novel lighting fixture closely simulates the appearance of conventional crystal lighting fixtures, but permits rapid assembly with a minimum number of manipulations. Moreover, lighting fixtures in accordance with the present invention are so constructed that the refracting elements may be formed of durable and inexpensive transparent plastic material.

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a simply constructed refracting lighting fixture.

It is another object of this invention to provide a simply constructed simulated crystal lighting fixture.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a refracting lighting fixture wherein pendant-forming members are removably coupled to a frame by resilient clips.

It is another object to provide a lighting fixture wherein several optical elements are incorporated in a single pendant member.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention are realized, in a preferred form, by a lighting fixture comprising a frame having a bar member thereon for supporting pendant members, faceted pendant members being coupled to the bar member. The bar member may take the form of a ring, in which case, the pendant members are coupled substantially about the periphery of the ring. Resilient clip elements retain the pendant members on the ring. Several concentric and axially spaced rings may be provided in order to provide a desired decorative effect.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, partially in phantom, showing a refracting lighting fixture in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view, partially in phantom;

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional side elevation view, taken along the line 3 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partial side elevation view taken along the line 4 4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partial top plan view taken along the line 5 5 in FIG. 4;

Patented Sept. 22,y 1970 FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken along the line 6 6 in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a detail view taken along the line 7 7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing a structural element of a lighting fixture in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is seen in FIGS. 1 and 3 a lighting fixture designated generally by the reference numeral 10.

The illustrated fixture 10 is a ceiling-mounted unit. Thus, a ceiling pan 12 is supported in contact with the ceiling 14. For this purpose, a conventional mounting strap 16, recessed in the ceiling 14, may be provided. A stud 18, having threaded ends 20 and 22 is received in the mounting strap 16. A lock nut 24 may be provided to lock the stud 18 to the mounting strap 16.

A downwardly facing reflector plate 26 is juxtaposed to the ceiling pen 12. An angular abutment 28, seen in FIG. 3, may be provided on the stud 18. The abutment 28 retains the ceiling pan 12 and reflector plate 26 in suspended relation with respect to the ceiling 14. A conventional bulb-receiving socket 30 is coupled to the ceiling pan 12. The socket 30 may be coupled to the ceiling pan 12 by a bracket 32 extending through the pan and reflector plate 26. The fixture 10 may be provided with any desired number of sockets. For example, referring to FIG. 2, the illustrated preferred form contains three sockets, 30, 30 and 30".

Referring again to FIG. 3, a lower end of the stud 18 supports a frame, designated generally by the reference numeral 34, and seen in perspective in FIG. 8. The frame 34 is retained on the threaded end 22 of stud 18 by a finial 36, best seen in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 8, the frame 34 comprises a central bushing 38. The bushing 38 has an aperture 40 adapted to receive threaded end 22 of the stud 18. Concentric rings 42, 44 and 46, interconnected by radially extending stepped spokes 48, complete the frame 34. The rings 42, 44 and 46, in the illustrated embodiment are concentrically mounted with respect to the bushing 38 and each other, and moreover, are spaced from each other axially along their common axis, as is perhaps most clearly seen in FIG. 3. Ring 46, the largest of the rings, is preferably slightly smaller in diameter than the outer skirt portion of the ceiling pan 12.

The rings 42, 44 and 46 provide support for crystalsimulating pendant members. For example, referring to FIGS. 1 and 3, pendant members 50 are coupled to the ring 42; pendant members 52 are coupled to the ring 44; and pendant members 54 are coupled to the ring 46. If desired, pendant members 50, 52 and 54 may be disposed about the entire periphery of their respective supporting rings 42, 44, and 46.

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the pendant member 52, typical in construction of the pendant members 52, 54 and 50, will now be described in detail.

Pendant member 52 contains three discrete pendant elements 56, 58 and 60. The pendant elements 56, 58 and 60 are thus discrete optical elements, simulating the appearance of the individual pendants in conventional lighting xture constructions. Web portions 62, 64 interconnect 'the individual pendant elements 56, 58 and 60. The pendant members 50, 52 and 54 are preferably molded of clear plastic polymeric material, and provided with light refracting facets 66 on their respective outer faces.

Molded integrally with the pendant member 52 are hook elements 68. The hook elements 68 provide support means for the pendant member 52. As is seen in FIGS. `6 and 7, the hook elements 68 include a narrow throat portion 70 and an enlarged head portion 72. The

throat portion 70 and head portion 72 dene part of a bight 74 for receiving the ring 44. An abutment shoulder 76 is preferably provided on one side of the head 72, opposite from the location of the bight 74.

A resilient clip 78 serves to retain ring 44 in the bight 74.

In the illustrated embodiment, the clip 78 is generally J-shaped in cross section. The clip 78 includes a short leg portion 80 adapted to engage the abutment shoulder 76. The clip 78 also includes intermediate leg portions 82 and 84, and an elongated leg portion 86 adapted to project, when in an operative position, into juxtaposition with the bight 74. In a preferred form, the short leg portion 80 normally extends in generally perpendicular relation to the elongated leg portion 86. When the clip 78 is in its operative position, the elongated leg portion 86 overlies the ring 44, thereby coupling the pendant member 52 to the ring 44.

The dotted line portions in FIG. 6 illustrate the manner in which the clip 78 may be secured to the pendant member 52 to couple the pendant member to the ring 44. The leg portion 80 is initially engaged with the abutment shoulder 76. Clip 78 can then be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in FIG. 6. Clip 78 undergoes deformation as it is rotated. As the clip 78 approaches its operative position overlying the ring 44, it tends to return to its initial, undeformed shape. A slight amount of deformation of the clip 78 in the operative position is desirable. Thus, the resilience of the clip keeps it in frictional and gripping engagement with the head 72, and assures proper alignment of the pendant member 52. The above description of the relationship between the resilient clip 78, hook element 66, bight 74 and ring 44 is typical of the manner in which the various pendant members 50, 52 and 54 are coupled to their respective supporting rings 42, 44, 46.

In the illustrated and above-described embodiment, the members 42, 44 and 46 are described as rings It should be apparent that shapes other than the preferred rings can be employed. Thus, as used hereinafter, the members 42, 44 and 46 and their equivalents may be referred to generically as bar members for supporting the pendant members.

As is evident from FIG. 5, in a preferred form of the invention, the plan shape of the pendant members conforms to the plan shape of the bar members from which they are supported.

Referring again to FIGS. l and 3, ornamentation other than the above-described pendant members may be applied to the fixture 10. Thus, for example, a pendant 88 maybe supported by the iinial 36.

The present invention may be embodied in other speciiic forms Without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specication as indicating the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A lighting lixture comprising a support frame having a bar member thereon, means on said support frame for coupling said frame to a support surface, a plurality of pendant members coupled to said bar member, support means on said pendant members adapted to engage said bar members, and resilient clip means adapted to be coupled to said bar member and said support means on said pendant members to couple said pendant members to said bar member, said pendant members comprising a plurality of discrete faceted pendant elements in side-by-side relation.

2. A lighting fixture in accordance with claim 1, said support frame having a plurality of bar members thereon, and pendant members coupled to each of said bar members.

3. A lighting fixture in accordance with claim 2 wherein said bar members are generally concentric ring members, said pendant members being coupled around substantially the entire periphery of said ring members.

4. A lighting xture in accordance with claim 3, said pendant members being of about equal length, and said ring members being spaced along their common axis in stepped relation.

'5. In a lighting iixture comprising a frame having a bar member thereon for supporting pendants, a faceted pendant member having support means thereon adapted to engage said bar member, said support means comprising a hook element having a head portion and a bight for receiving said bar member, and a resilient clip element for retaining said bar member in said bight, said clip element having a first leg portion adapted to engage said head portion, and a second leg portion adapted to project into juxtaposition With said bight so that said bar member is retained in said bight.

6. In a lighting xture in accordance with claim 5, an abutment shoulder on said head portion remote from said bight, said clip element having a further leg portion engageable with said abutment shoulder, said further leg portion normally extending in a direction generally perpendicular to said second leg portion.

7. In a lighting iixture in accordance with claim `5, said bar member being a ring, said pendant member having a curvature complemental with said ring, and a plurality of said hook elements in spaced relation on said pendant member for receiving spaced portions of said ring therein.

8. In a lighting lixture in accordance with claim 7, the head portions of said hook elements having an abutment shoulder thereon remote from said bight, said clip elements having a further leg portion engageable with said abutment shoulder.

9. In a lighting fixture in accordance with claim 5, said pendant member comprising a plurality of discrete interconnected pendant elements, and said pendant member having a plurality of said hook elements coupled thereto.

10. In a lighting xture in accordance with claim 9, the head portions of said hook elements having an abutment shoulder thereon remote from said bight, said clip elements having a further leg portion engageable with said abutment shoulder.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,513,565 7/1950 Johnson 24b-l-l08 X 2,937,265 5/ 1960 Blitzer 240-9 3,167,257 1/1965 Harper 24U-108 X FOREIGN PATENTS 706,647 3/1954 Great Britain. 923,687 4/1963 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner M. L. GELLNER, Assistant Examiner 

